Scarlett Angel
by shinigamiConnections
Summary: Near thought that his dealings concerning criminals with Death Notes were over. But, of course, supernatural things are unpredicatable. Although, this time, could he be friends...or even have feelings for a killer? Near/OC Rating May Change. ON HIATUS
1. Beginnings

_**Hello there! This is my newest fanfic.**_

_**Err, this may be a little…darker-ish, than my other stories, as the character becomes unstable, and is, frankly, a murderer. Beware. The rating might change to M soon.**_

_**I'm thinking of posting relevant songs at the beginning of each chapter… like a soundtrack. What do you think?**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or its original characters.  
>Claimer: Angelique, her family, and this storyline is MINE.<strong>_

* * *

><p>It was over; Kira was dead once and for all. The Death Note was destroyed, Near had become the new L, and the task force disbanded. The world could breathe a sigh of relief, and people could be safe once again.<p>

Or so it seemed.

What Near and the other detectives did not take into account was that the Death Note cannot be destroyed simply by incineration. Much like a shinigami, mundane ways of extermination and destruction do not work permanently on Death Notes.

Such a fact was not known at the time, and so the ashes re-assembled themselves in the middle of New York, USA. Not only that, but Ryuk thought it best to watch over the new owner of a notebook.

This is the story of how, even after the end of the legendary 'Reign of Kira', the Death Note caused havoc in the world. It is better known in top secret files as the 'Scarlett Angel' Case.

* * *

><p>"Hm?"<p>

Amongst the bustling morning crowd, a girl paused in her wandering; magenta coloured eyes locked onto the falling rectangle with interest. It was not every day the girl saw things fall from the sky, and her mother was usually fine with her being a tad late back to the cafe, why not take an interest, it was in the same direction she was heading anyway.

With that thought, the girl started off in the direction of the object, holding onto her crimson beret as a breeze picked up.

Near twirled a snowy lock of hair absent-mindedly, entering the store with Aizawa and taking a seat. The small, cosy bakery and cafe was one he had visited once before, shortly after the end of the case. He had nothing but high praise for the old-looking place, and was treating the elder man to a brunch while he was in New York.

"How have you been, Near?" Aizawa asked politely as they took their seats. The younger man shrugged, inspecting their surroundings.

"I have been well, Mr Aizawa, if not a little bored since the end of the Kira case. And yourself?"

"I've had better times, but I've also had much worse."

An elderly woman, possessing many wrinkles and probably a story behind each one, appeared at their table, smiling at the two.

"What would you two like?" She asked, clasping her hands together.

"One chocolate croissant and an herbal tea, thank you," Near responded automatically, Aizawa glanced at the menu.

"Uh, one toasted cinnamon brioche and a latte, please?"

The woman scribbled down their order and nodded, "Yes, it will be here in a few minutes, dears."

"Thank you."

The two sat in silence, the air only filled by the sound of the fire crackling, and the women arguing in the kitchen. Another thing Near enjoyed about the cafe, it seemed to be run by a family, a very close knitted family, one that used the recipes handed down the line. He could only taste such quality food at the cafe, where the atmosphere made him feel like he was in France.

"Where is she? She is so tardy, sometimes, that Angelique," The eldest of the women said, the four of them barrelling out of the kitchen doors to continue their conversation. It looked like three generations, the eldest at least ninety, followed by her daughter, around sixty or seventy, the last two appeared to be sisters, in their forties.

"Give her a break, Ma, she will be here soon," The seventy year old said, waving her hand before picking up a silver tray and bringing it over to the detectives.

"Thank you," Aizawa nodded to the woman, Near followed suit.

The two ate in silence for the most part, lost in thought. The twenty-one year old looked up from his plate when the door swung open, letting a gust of chilly winter air into the warm cafe.

"Angelique, you're finally here," The women cried in unison.

The girl at the door smiled apologetically, her cheeks and nose tinted red from the cold. She was obviously related to the others, her curly midnight hair under the red beret told that much, as well at the same facial features; button nose, tiny lips and a soft jawline. She was wearing a long red coat and a pair of black boots, clutching a few books in her arms, as well as a glasses case.

"Sorry, I got caught up," she apologized in a soft, almost criminally innocent voice. She walked over to the counter and kissed the women, before being ushered into the back of the store to change.

Near looked at Aizawa, the elder man looked in complete heaven as he finished his food. "This place is very good, why is it not crowded?" He asked, the white haired genius twirled a piece of his hair.

"It is not very popular, not because of the quality of the food, but because of the place it is located. Not many people would venture this far away from the main parts of the city for food."

"That's a shame."

"Yes, would you like another helping?"

The man shook his head, his face portraying how badly he wanted to accept the offer. "No, thanks, I'm fine."

"Mr Aizawa, there is no need to leave here still hungry, you _are_ on a holiday."

Aizawa thought for a moment, before nodding his head. "Alright, maybe one more couldn't hurt."

He nodded, turning to signal one of the women. They had already exited into the kitchen, but the girl appeared after a moment, tying an apron over her clothes as she walked over to them.

"What would you like?" She asked the two, taking out her note pad.

"Another helping of cinnamon brioche, please," Aizawa requested, she nodded, turning to Near. "Would you like something?"

"Hn, no thank you."

She nodded, turning away again. After giving her grandmother the order, she took a seat at the counter, engrossing herself in a thin black book, her glasses resting on the bridge of her nose.

"Not every day you stumble across a cafe full of French women," Aizawa muttered, more to himself to anyone.

"Mm, the young girl is on French because of her mother, I'm guessing her father was most likely American," Near responded, bringing out a robot toy and playing with it.

"You got that from 'Would you like something'?"

The prodigy simply ignored the man's question, staring at the table.

"What is this? Un journal intime(_1_)?" One of the women squealed, bouncing over to 'Angelique' with interest.

"Ce n'est pas un journal(_2_)," The girl responded, crouching further over the book.

The two bantered on while Aizawa was served, Near's eyebrows pulling together the longer it dragged on.

The two paid quickly after the man finished, Near stopped by the door when the girl shouted something from the kitchen, though only one word stuck.

"Laissez-moi tranquille, Shinigami(_3_)!"

* * *

><p>Angelique fell onto her bed, exhausted. The room beneath her family's cafe was warm and small, acting as her house. Her mother and aunt lived about the cafe, caring for her grandmother and theirs.<p>

She pulled out the little black notebook once again, taking a pen out. "I can't believe you won't leave me alone," She spat, facing the two daunting figures with distaste. "Devils if I ever saw them."

"No need to call us devils, y'know," The larger of the two responded, highly amused with the girl.

"Devils, devils," The smaller one responded, bouncing up and down.

"What were your names, again?" She asked, kicking her legs into the air.

"Ryuk," the larger replied.

"Maku."

"Hm..."

"Don't bother writing our names down," Ryuk advised, lying on his back, mid-air.

She shrugged, turning back to the rules written in the Death Note.

"You said before I could take some type of deal, yes?" She asked, turning to Maku.

"Yes, yes. Maku knows what you mean, yes, yes," He replied, hopping closer to the foot of the bed. "Why, is Angel-Angel considering taking the deal?"

"I'd like to know what it is, please."

The shinigami jumped up, settling against the pillow, a foot away from the girl. "Yes, yes, Angel-Angel! The deal is between a shinigami and a human possessing a Death Note; they exchange half their life span for the shinigami eyes."

"Shinigami eyes?" She asked, watching him intently. The shinigami's large red eyes blinked once, before he nodded.

"Yes, yes, eyes of the shinigami. They can show the user the names and remaining lifespan of other human-humans."

"And are you willing to tell me how long I have left on my life?" She asked, staring at the small shinigami with a sweet smile.

"You have at least sixty years left, Angel-Angel, so-," Maku covered his mouth sheepishly, Angelique grinned, turning to Ryuk.

"Ryuk, I'd like to make the deal with you," She said, Ryuk chuckled.

"You sure you want that, especially with such fragile old people around you, it might not be a good choice, girlie."

"I'm sure, Ryuk, now make the deal!" She ordered, he laughed in a mirror to that of a maniac and nodded, extending a hand.

"If you say so, girlie."

Angelique grasped the hand, watching as bloody tears leaked from Ryuk's eyes, even while he was smiling insanely. Warm liquid trailed down her cheeks, and the girl lifted a hand to one, pulling away to see her hand covered with blood.

And then she passed out.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Translations:<strong>_

_**1. A diary?**_

_**2. It's not a diary/ This is not a diary**_

_**3. Leave me alone, Shinigami**_

_**What do you think so far? It's still quite basic because I haven't been able to develop it too much in the first chapter, but I would really like your input. Hopefully, I will be able to post more frequently with this story, as the next few chapters have already been written.**_

_**Click the pretty button down there! Later!**_

**_-Shinigami_**


	2. The Scarlett Angel

**Hey there!**

**Soo, I have just written up the next two chapters of this, and will probably post them within the next few days if I get some feedback/reviews *hint***

**Just a heads up, whoever finds the Harry Potter reference receives and internet cookie from me :3  
>How have you all been? This is chapter two… enjoy?<strong>

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original Death Note storyline or characters**

**Claimer: I own this story/storyline, Angelique, her family, and A DEATH NOTE! Heehee**

* * *

><p>Near sat in the middle of his New York office, playing with a strand of his hair as he watched the news report; his mind mulled over what he had heard the other day, while still listening intently to the television.<p>

"..._Angelique Celine Laurent was found in her residence two days ago by her grandmother; blood stained her cheeks and eyes, as well as her hand and nightgown. The twenty year old college student regained consciousness this morning, but seemed to have no injuries to speak of, even though the blood was hers..."_

There was a knock at the door, and the white haired man looked up, calling for the visitor to enter.

Aizawa opened the door, standing a few feet behind Near. "I see you know about the Laurent girl, she was the one at the cafe, right?"

Near nodded. "Though that was my first time meeting the girl, she matched the photo given by the reporters."

"I wonder what is wrong with her..."

"Am I not mistaken in saying that you are catching a plane back to Japan today, Mr Aizawa?" Near asked.

"Yeah, I was just coming to say goodbye before leaving. Also, to give you a heads up, Matsuda will be in town in a month or so."

"I see..."

"I'm going, now. See you around, Near."

"Goodbye, Mr Aizawa."

* * *

><p>Angelique sighed in frustration, running a hand through her curly black locks.<p>

"I should have figured I wouldn't be able to see the lifespan of someone in a photo," She muttered, pouting and setting the photo on her bedside table.

"Heh, you can, but it isn't right. This photo is from eighteen years ago, life spans change. Who're you trying to kill anyway?" Ryuk inquired, curious.

"I have a list of people, don't worry, I'll find them soon enough."

He nodded. "In the meantime, could you buy me some of those delicious apples you humans have? I haven't tasted one in _years_."

She nodded, smiling angelically at the shinigami. "As soon as I get out of here, I'll buy a bag of them."

"Angel-Angel! Someone's coming!" Maku announced, bouncing in through the wall of the hospital room, a moment later, the door swung open.

"Angelique, darling, how are you feeling?" Her mother asked, rushing to the girl's side.

"I feel fine, Mamma, I told you that already."

"I know, but I can't help but worry about you," The woman smiled at her daughter. "I just signed your release forms; it's time to go home."

Angelique beamed at the woman, trying to ignore the floating red letters and numbers above her mother's head.

* * *

><p><em>Laura Piggott, death by fire.<em>

_Charles East, death by heart attack._

_Pepper Mundy, death by heart attack._

_Tanya Ford, death by drowning in local pool._

"You sure got to work, didn't you?" Ryuk observed, leaning over Angelique's shoulder as she took a sip of tea. The girl was finally back to college, in one of the many small shops on campus, and writing names in the notebook.

"You could say that."

"Who were those people, Angel-Angel?" Asked Maku; he was bouncing like a small child by the human's feet, a finger hooked into his lower lip.

"They were drug dealers, rapists, and murderers."

"Another god complex, huh?" Ryuk predicted, she snorted slightly.

"I hardly think of myself as a god, shinigami. I'm merely a girl."

He spun around, pointing to a name. "Hey, this one isn't a criminal. It seems you might be as interesting as the last owner."

She stood up, gathering her book bag and starting off towards her next class, bumping into someone on her way, her glasses fell to the ground with something the stranger dropped.

"Désolé(1)," She apologized, reaching down to the ground, pawing around for her glasses.

"C'est bien(2)," a soft voice replied, almost a whisper. She looked up, seeing the stranger holding out her glasses. She took them from him and placed them on her face again, picking up the robot and extending it to the boy.

"You speak French?" She asked, surprised. He nodded, taking the robot from her.

"You are the girl from The Laurent, yes?"

She blinked, before nodded, studying the stranger's features. "Yes, you were there the other day with your friend, correct?"

He nodded, lifting a hand to twirl a lock of white hair. "You could say that."

"I'm Angelique Laurent, you are...?"

"Near, just Near," He responded, delicately shaking her hand. Her interest was then piqued by the boy, not only because of the fake name he had given her, but he was just... interesting, for some reason.

"I need to get going, or I will be late for class. Feel free to drop in at the cafe any time, Near, I would love some input for my cooking."

He nodded. "I may do that, Miss Laurent."

She smiled, waving shyly, before turning and taking off towards the class, with the odd boy still in her mind.

Angelique had no doubt he was in his late teens to early twenties, despite his young appearance, but something kept her from calling him a man, it didn't seem to fit Near.

She shook the thoughts from her mind as she took a seat by one of her only friends in the college, a girl by the name of Jacquie, with brown hair tied in a high ponytail and large green eyes. She looked at Angelique and smiled at her, raising an eyebrow.

"What's up with you? So early after getting out of hospital, and you're practically glowing, Ange," She commented, patting the girl's purple beret.

"Nothing's up, I'm just thinking."

"About...?"

"Stuff, don't worry."

The brunette rolled her eyes and nodded, turning back to the man next to her. She was used to Angelique's cryptic tones and half answers, and didn't bother with prodding further than needed.

The door opened after a moment, their professor walking in and staring at the class.

"Turn to page 394, class."

* * *

><p>"<em>... Of course, after the end of Kira only two years ago, what's to say he isn't back?..."<em>

Listening to the ramblings of under educated news reporters and their interviews was becoming a bad habit of Near's. He was assigned the case just last week, after meeting Angelique Celine Laurent at the College campus near his office. He wouldn't have pinned her for a student there, more like a professor.

Near curled a lock of hair around his finger; twirling it as he stared at his puzzle. The pieces fit perfectly, as always. Something gnawed at the edge of his mind, like a pet scratching at a door, begging to be let inside, away from the rain. If only he could find the door knob, the thought would become clear, but it was vague and beginning to weigh on his patience.

"Near?" Someone asked, he didn't look up, still staring down at his puzzle board.

"Yes, Commander?" He asked, the man stepped further into the room.

"I've been receiving phone calls, many politicians have been asking about the newest case. TV Stations are calling it the 'Scarlett Angel' case."

"Where did they come up with that?" Near inquired, turning his head slightly to look at the man.

Rester coughed slightly, lifting the remote and changing the television's channel.

"_The Scarlett Angel; is it our newest vengeance seeking savoir, or a government scheme?" _Announced the enthusiastic presenter, an image popped up to her left, "_Here is the latest victim, Piper Tanner, found dead in her home against the bed, kneeling with her hands clasped. Was she looking up at our Scarlett Angel, or was she repenting for her sins of arson? Each of our Angel's victims have been found like this, whether it's a coincidence or not, the Angel is among us..."_

"It's disgusting that their ratings have shot up since the start of the murders." Rester made a face, turning the TV off.

"The killer is efficient, more so than Kira was. They don't stick solely to death by heart attack, and the people they are zeroing in on are not all ones recently shown on TV or in newspapers."

Rester turned to Near, surprised. "So you think it's the work of someone possessing a Death Note?" He asked.

"Maybe," the white haired genius replied, scribbling down a set of words and numbers. "Please go to this address, inform them that L sent you, show this piece of paper, and request box number 1230."

Near handed the man the piece of paper; turning away from him and standing up, he finished, "Please notify me when you do this."

Rester nodded his head, before pausing to speak. "Where're you going?"

"I have plans."

* * *

><p><em><strong>What do you think? Eh?<strong>_

_**First, I'll just point out two things before anyone messages me confused. Yes, Angelique's last name is the same as the name of the café. Second, it's Near. He can obviously speak many languages, otherwise he wouldn't be the next L, would he?**_

_**Translations:**_

_**1. Sorry**_

_**2. That's fine**_

_**THANK YOU TO WEIRDGOTHGIRL, the only one to review my first chapter. Thank you muchly, dear.**_

_**I'm off now. Review? Please? *puppy eyes***_

_**Later!**_

_**-Shinigami**_


	3. Nate River

**Hello there! How are you all today/tonight, lovelies? **

**Here is chapter 3! Hope you enjoy and all that jazz.**

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own any original DN characters/ideas**

**Claimer: I OWN THIS STORYLINE, THESE NEW CHARACTERS AND THIS GOD DAMN I forgot what else I own…. Damn….**

* * *

><p>"Near, you're back!" Angelique gasped, looking up from the book she was reading when he pushed the cafe door open.<p>

"Yes, is this a bad time?"

She shut the book, tucking it away and rushing over to him. "Not at all, I was just reading. Come on, we have work to do," She said, taking his hand gently and tugging him along towards the kitchen.

The genius was flabbergasted, to say the least. He wasn't used to, or comfortable with, human contact. The girl didn't seem too natural about touching his hand either, even pausing before she did it, but continued to tow him into the cafe's kitchen anyway.

"Do you have any personal preferences? Allergies?" she asked, letting his hand go and dragging over a chair for him.

"No allergies, though..." He paused, blonde hair and leather flashing in his mind's eye.

"Yes?" She prompted, staring at him with her shining magenta eyes.

"Do you have anything with chocolate in it?"

She beamed, nodding. "But of course! I'm glad you asked."

She disappeared from his sight for a moment, ordering him in her soft voice to stay where he was. Near brought a hand to his face; he took a whiff of his sleeve, taking in the scent of the girl.

It was faint in the material, but traces of her were evident in the room. A mix of many fragrances, the most prominent being the smell of the wood fire that she had been sitting by, baked cookies, the scent of old book pages, and a hint of some type of flower. Near wasn't the best judge of flower by their smell, but it seemed to fit with the graceful French girl.

"My family is out for the day, they are visiting my grandfather and my aunt is at work, so you can be here for as long as you like," She said, appearing once more. In her arms was a rack of goods, most of them had some type of chocolate evident.

"Here, this just came from the freezer. Dark Chocolate Sorbet," She extended a bowl of chocolate ice-cream, surrounded by strawberries and real chocolate pieces.

He took the bowl from her, experimentally tasting a small piece. He gave her a nod of his head, before taking another bite.

"It's nice," He said after another bite, twirling a lock of hair.

"Really? Magnifique(1)!" She sang, jumping up and down.

Near nodded his head; he placed the bowl down as she regained composure. The two stared at each other for a moment, curious, before two ringtones blared.

Angelique apologized and moved to her cell phone, opening it and beginning to speak in rapid French. Near wasn't sure what she was saying, and could only catch a few words, before he answered his phone.

"Commander Rester, I trust you've done as told?" He asked.

"_Yes, but we have a problem, the woman is freaking out," _The man responded, sounding aggravated.

"Please put her on the line."

"_She's in the middle of another call, but I'll put her on when she hangs up_."

Near spared a glance at Angelique, who was running a hand through her hair and explaining something to the person on the other line very slowly, as if to make sure they didn't forget anything.

After a moment she hung up, huffing.

"_Here she is,_" There was movement as the phone was passed to the security woman, who spoke again.

"'_Ello, there must have been a mistake, nobody is to look at L's cases_."

"This is L, I assure you, the man is allowed to spare a glance. It is for my current case," He responded, watching as Angelique busied herself in another room while he spoke.

"_The Scarlett Angel, eh?_"

"Yes."

"_Alright, but he is not to take it out of my sight. YOU ARE NOT_-,"

"Understood, miss," Near cut off the screaming and waited for Rester to speak again.

"_Alright, she's opening the box, was that many locks necessary_?"

"Yes, they were. What do you see in there?"

There was a shuffling, before Rester sighed heavily. "_Just documents, and an envelope_."

"Please take the envelope out, is it sealed properly?"

"_Yes, shall I open it?"_

Near responded with an affirmative, before taking another spoonful of the Sorbet; Rester then started asking questions, puzzled. "_What the...? Why is it empty_?"

"Just as I thought, I'll have to ask you to come back to the office. This may be a setback in the case." With that, Near hung up, turning to the girl.

"Trouble?" Angelique asked, sipping a mug of coffee.

"Yes, I'm afraid I can't stay. Something has come up," Near stood up, she nodded. The girl then grabbed a fold-out tray and stacked it with sweets, wrapping it and holding it out to the detective. "Take this, it sounds like your work is hard to get out of right now, why not have a treat while you're working?"

Near nodded, feeling the muscles in his face twitch in what may have been a ghost of a smile.

"Thank you, Miss Laurent."

He turned, package in hand and exited the store, Angelique lent on the doorframe, watching as he left.

"Goodbye, Mr Nate River."

* * *

><p>"Ma, where is Mr Bennet?" Angelique asked over dinner, hoping to sound innocent.<p>

The table of woman went silent; the dark haired girl stared at the woman with hard eyes, unmoving from her face. She refused to look further than their hairline, afraid of what she would see.

"Why do you ask, Ange?" She asked, taking a bite of her dinner.

"I would like to pay him a visit, just to see what he looks like, now," She responded, toying with a pea.

"Why couldn't you just look at a photograph, Angelique?" Her grandmother asked, making a face.

"They're all old and out-dated, not to mention hidden."

The women looked at each other, before nodding.

"I'll give you the address in the morning, Angelique."

"Merci(2)."

* * *

><p>She stood, a scowl flittering across her features, outside the hotel. It was grand, to say the least, possibly one of the most expensive in town, and incredibly intimidating.<p>

Angelique clutched her books closer to her chest and trudged up the steps of the Hotel, stopping at the front desk.

"Excuse me? Could you tell me what room Mr Paul Bennet is?" She asked the woman behind the desk. The blonde popped her chewing gum and eyed her up and down.

"He's getting younger ones, now? Jeez, Paul has no shame. He's in room 401, level twelve," She said, turning away from Angelique with her chin out, huffing.

The college student stood there, flabbergasted, before starting for the elevator. Her finger hovered above the button for a moment, before hitting '12'. The elevator smoothly travelled up to her floor and she stepped out, scanning the door numbers.

"399, 400, 401!" she said, stopping at the door to her left, rapping on it carefully. There was a loud shout from behind it, before the door was wrenched open.

"Who're you? I didn't send for any girls yet," He said, examining her. "Ain't you a little young to be in this business?"

Angelique just stared at the man. Greying hair, dressed in a white robe, and matching magenta eyes. He stared at her for a moment, before pulling her into the apartment.

"Alright, what's your name?" He asked, crossing his arms.

She took out the notebook. "My name is Angelique, do you have a pen?" He nodded, grabbing a silver pen and handing it to her.

"Angelique, huh? Is that your whole name, darling?"

"No." She quickly scribbled down what she needed.

_Paul Bennet dies at 2.46PM after re-writing his will, leaving everything to his ex-wife and daughter. Death by suicide._

He was about to ask her what she was doing, before his eyes glazed over slightly. He walked to the table and took out a piece of paper, Angelique handed him the pen.

"I can't blame you, we haven't seen each other since I was little. If you didn't know, Mr Bennet, I am your daughter."

He looked at her, and Angelique smiled. She had always wanted to do this for so long. The girl resisted a laugh of relief as she watched his life span decreased until it was down to seconds. He stood up, grabbing his chair and staring intently at the window.

Angelique turned away, gasping when she saw her reflection. Her usually pinky-purple coloured eyes were blood red. She let out a deflated sigh as she saw nothing floating above her own head. She opened the apartment door and stepped out, hearing nothing but the breaking of glass and screams.

Her way outside was much calmer than that of the crowd, who were all screaming and pointing to the man lying dead on the sidewalk.

He wasn't her real father. He was a pig who just left his entire life savings and properties to his long lost lover and daughter. He deserved much worse, but she couldn't bring herself to do anything more to him, after everything he had done to her before leaving.

In a way, Angelique had let him off easy.

* * *

><p>Near sighed, beginning to unpack the new case's dolls.<p>

Near, Rester, and Gevanni dolls were on one side, a black doll with red wings labelled 'SA' was on the other. He also added a miniature TV next to the SA doll, just in case.

"From what we know, the so called Scarlett Angel is following Kira's path, seeing justice in killing those who have committed crimes. But from recent reports, not all victims have been criminals at all. This means that Scarlett may actually be seeking revenge as well as justice," He explained, his eyes sliding over to the two men, who nodded in understanding.

"Although it's just a theory, I'm guessing that Scarlett is within New York. They seem to be basing most murders that have been committed or broadcasted within the state boundaries. Out of the 60 reported killings, only ten have been international. This narrows the location to America, if we look again at where the murders are occurring, we see that 36 of them have been in New York."

"That's pretty stupid."

"Hn, if we can determine what connection each of the non-criminals have with each other, they will probably link back to Scarlett. Also, run over the files of their deaths."

"Yes, sir," Gevanni said, turning away and beginning his work. Rester gave a stiff nod and left the office.

Near picked up the SA doll, staring at it coolly. _ Something is different about this case, _He thought to himself. _I don't know what, but it will not benefit my investigation._ He squished the doll slightly, before tossing it aside.

* * *

><p><strong>How was that? As you may be able to see, our precious Angelique has stared to go a little loopy… but that's all fine, everyone needs to be crazy sometimes, it's just not good when they can kill anyone they wish…<strong>

**Translations:**

**1. Wonderful!**

**2. Thank you**

**In other news! I went on a date today… It was great, I'm having a fangirl moment here, sorry. **

**THANK YOU TO MY LOVELY REVIEWERS!**

**humanist- Thank you very much, dear! I will try to be as frequent as possible with updating. Just for you **

**Alicia – YES! YOU GOT IT RIGHT! YOU GET A COOKIE - (::) Well done, dear! :3 **

**You know what to do!**

**-Shinigami**


	4. Unravelling

**Hey guys, how's it going? This is the fourth chapter of Scarlett Angel! And… yeah, I have no idea what else to say, really.**

**Enjoy!  
>Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or its original characters. <strong>

**Claimer: I do own Angelique and her family, this plot, and Maku.**

* * *

><p>Angelique felt a weight lifted off her chest when she woke up the next morning. Her father was gone, and the lawyers had called that night to tell them they were visiting around lunch time. She grabbed a pair of jeans and red blouse, walking to the bathroom and showering.<p>

By the time she was out, dressed, and pulling her hair into a bun the lawyers were in the cafe, waiting patiently.

"Hello, sorry for keeping you waiting, I'm afraid I took longer than expected to get ready," She apologized, smiling at the two men.

"That's fine, Miss Laurent," The elder of the two said, twirling his moustache slightly. "My condolences for your loss."

"Thank you," Angelique said, feigning sadness by looking at her feet, her breath hitching.

"Oh, please don't cry," The younger man pleaded, touching her shoulder lightly. "How about we sit down?"

She sniffled slightly and nodded. "W-Would you two like a cup of coffee?" She asked, the two nodded and she retreated to the kitchen to make the drinks.

"I've gotta say, you're putting on one hell of a performance, Kid," Ryuk said, cackling. "The last possessor of my Death Note was good, but crying wasn't his thing. You should look into acting."

"Thanks," The dark haired girl replied, placing the three cups on a tray. "But this is only the beginning."

"Only the beginning, only the beginning!" Maku agreed, bouncing around next to her leg.

She set the drinks down in front of the two lawyers and looked at them intently. "So what is it you would like to talk to me about?"

"Regarding the events prior to Mr Bennett's death; He wrote down on the Hotel notepad that he left all of his savings and estates to you and your mother. This is actually very common with suicide cases, and the form of changing a will is legal. Your father's handwriting and signature have been verified, he wrote the letter."

Angelique nodded, gnawing on her lip in thought. "Alright, what is it that we're inheriting?"

The elderly lawyer slid a piece of paper over to her. The college student slid her glasses on and scanned the paper. She was a little taken aback, even though the two met in a fancy hotel, she wouldn't have thought he was rich.

Two large properties in the countryside, a successful business developing computer software and a crap load of money.

"I see..."

"You weren't aware of what your father had in his possession?" One asked, confused.

"No, in truth we hadn't made contact for good eleven or so years. It's a shame; he seemed to really love my mother."

"Well, in that case, would you like to wait until your mother is back?"

"No, I'm fine, let's get this done."

* * *

><p>Near appeared in the café later in the week, Angelique brightened up at his visit.<p>

"Near, you're back. How is your work going?" She asked, continuing to stack the display case with sweets as he took a seat by the fireplace. The café was occupied by an elderly couple on the opposite side of the room, but Angelique didn't seem to mind.

"It's coming along, though slower than I would like."

The dark haired girl nodded. "That's a shame… Tea?" She asked, he nodded.

"Yes, please… I assume your studies have been going well?"

"Extremely, I've been coping quite well," She replied. "Better than I would have thought, actually," She said, wandering over to his table after a minute.

Near examined the girl's expression. "Is there something making you extremely happy today, Angelique?" He inquired.

"My family is moving out," She informed him, smiling. "I mean… not that I don't love them, but my grandma and her mother are too old to be working here anymore, so they're going to a really nice home in the country. My aunt is only moving down the street, and said she'll help out here occasionally."

"And what of your mother?" Near asked, sipping his tea calmly.

"She's going to move to one of our other houses. It's a bit far away, but it's what she wants."

Near raised an eyebrow for a moment. "You have other houses? Then why is it that you live and work here?"

Angelique's face smoothed out, her smile erased. "Mamma and I only just got possession of them. My father past away the other day…" She replied.

"My condolences."

"There's no need. We weren't close."

Near nodded in understanding. "I see. That's a shame."

Angelique quirked an eyebrow at the boy, "How so?" She asked.

"I'm an orphan. I have not seen my parents for quite a few years. Most children these days do not know what they are blessed with," He explained stoically. Although he seemed emotionless, Near was internally very confused. He rarely disclosed information about his past to someone- _anyone_, let alone a girl he met in a café.

"Oh… I'm sorry, Near. I didn't mean to offend you…" She said softly.

"You didn't offend me, you had no knowledge of my past, therefore couldn't have known if it would affect me in anyway."

Angelique nodded. "I guess that's true. Near… do you know those men?" She asked suddenly, pointing out of the large glass windows at three suited men crossing the street, staring directly at the albino.

"Yes, I do…" He replied, frowning slightly.

The three men entered the café, bee lining for the two's table. "Near, we have—," A tall blonde man paused, staring at Angelique intently.

"Oh, right… I'll leave you to it, then," She said, smiling and moving away from the table.

The dark haired student slipped behind the counter, pretending to busy herself with a large novel, though straining her ears to listen to the conversation.

"I'm afraid that Matsuda-san is insisting that he helps you on this case, Near," The tall blonde man said with a long sigh.

"I see…"

"Please, Near. I have experience with investigating the Death Note-," Angelique's eyes widened slightly, a lump rising in her throat.

_Investigating… the Death Note? _She thought frantically. _Does that mean that the police already think that the murders are supernatural? They can't, it's been too random to track, I thought I made sure of that…_

The girl shot out of her seat, turning and retreating to the kitchen for a moment, hanging up her apron and grabbing her bag. She returned to the front, seeing that the elderly couple had already left, and sighed with relief.

"I am terribly sorry to cut your conversation short, but I will be leaving the café for a short while. Seeing as nobody else is here at the moment, I'll have to ask you to leave while it is unattended," she apologized.

"That's fine, we're leaving now," Near replied coolly, standing up, the other detectives following suit. Angelique nodded in thanks, following the four outside and locking the café doors, pulling her dark coat tight. She quickly strode away from the men, clutching the Death Note close to her heart; her eyes squeezed shut for a moment.

"Well, you sure seem tense," Ryuk commented, floating beside the girl.

"There's a reason for that, they're investigating my murders," She hissed back, frowning.

Ryuk simply chuckled. "Well, you might as well give 'em something to investigate, right?" He said, trying his hand at persuading the girl.

Angelique paused, glancing up at him. "You know, Ryuk, that's one of the most intelligent things you've said all week," She told him fondly, making him smile evilly. The girl headed into the 'bad side' of the city, taking a seat on a bench and watching the passer-bys with a keen eye. She took out her Death Note and a pen, starting to write names frantically.

* * *

><p>"<em>The Scarlett Angel has been on a mass judgement in New York today, punishing over fifty criminals in the time span of two hours…"<em>

Near sighed softly, scowling at the television. Rester caught the detective's look, and muted the channel before returning to his work.

"So you think this 'Scarlett Angel' is the new Kira, right?" Asked Matsuda; nervously asking the albino man from his place at the large desk. Near looked up from his set of toys, and then nodded silently.

"I believe that this new Kira is, in fact, much more dangerous than the previous ones," He responded after a moment of silence.

This caught the attention of his team. "What? Why do you think that?" Asked Giovanni.

"Well, I do not think that this Kira has any inside information, yet, but as soon as Matsuda joined the case, more than fifty criminals died. If this person thinks we are getting close, the number of deaths will rise dangerously high. Like a wild animal, they will do everything possible to make an impact before they are caught."

"So you're saying that when they find out that we're making progress, more people will die?" Rester asked; Near nodded in confirmation.

"Well then how do we do anything without making more people be murdered?" Asked Giovanni.

"We can't do anything, except try to keep what progress we make hidden from everyone else," Rester said, Near looked away.

* * *

><p>Angelique sighed tranquilly, stretching her arms above her head. Maku bounced on the bed next to her, greeting the girl from her sleep with enthusiasm.<p>

"Good morning, Angel-Angel!" He cheered.

Angelique smiled, patting Maku's head. "Good morning, Maku-Maku," She replied, throwing the covers off of her body, skipping towards her computer. She showered and dressed as the news played in the background; the girl retrieved her Death Note and sat at the desk.

"More criminals, girl?" Ryuk said disbelievingly. "You already killed so many yesterday."

"You can never kill too many people with the death note. Accidents, suicides, double murders, there are so many different ways to kill them," Angelique muttered to herself, scribbling names down in the ivory pages of the Death Note.

The clown-like shinigami cackled at the small college student's ramblings. He could practically see her mind beginning to unravel with her continuous use of the notebook. It was only a matter of time until she snapped.

Angelique seemed unfazed by the almost constant laughing as she wrote names for a good half-hour, before rising from her desk and wandering off to do her morning duties.

"What do you think, Ryuk?" Maku asked, turning to the larger shinigami.

Ryuk looked down, smirking. "I think, things are going to get interesting."

* * *

><p><em>I could always just stop talking to him… No, that wouldn't work. I'd have to completely effuse him entry to the café, and I can't do that without a solid reason…<em>

She sighed, laying her head against the cool tiles as the blistering hot water ran down her back. The steam filled bathroom was quiet, as she didn't make any noise, just stood there. Her thoughts swirled around her.

_I could kill him… No, I don't want to do that. He's… interesting. Anyway, if he is investigating the Scarlett Angel case, staying around him can actually help me more than ever. If anything, it would be better for me to get close to him. That way I can find out just what he figures out, then divert him away from any leads that would put me in the spotlight…_

After a few minutes of planning, Angelique stepped out of the shower, wrapping herself in a towel and brushing out her hair.

"It's settled, then," She said to herself. "I'm going to ask Nate River out on a date."

* * *

><p><strong>Heehee, I wonder how she will go about doing such a thing. Seriously, I have no idea just yet. Feel free to send in any thoughts about this.<strong>

**To wicked-midnight25: OHAI! ^-^ **

**You know what to do, lovlies!**

**-Shinigami**


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